History Tea Time

In September 2022 Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge became Princess of Wales, the title previously held by her late mother in law, Diana. Let’s meet the 16 Princesses of Wales, both Native Welsh and English royal... Joan, Lady of Wales Isabella de Braose Eleanor de Montfort Elizabeth Ferrers Joan of Kent Margaret Hanmer Anne Neville Catherine of Aragon Caroline of Ansbach Augusta of Saxe-Gotha Carol...

Louis XIV, King of France from 1638 to 1715 was, like all French Kings, expected to have many lovers to prove his virility. And as could be expected in a time before reliable birth control, he also had large a crop of illegitimate children. Last week we met 13 of Louis’ mistresses. Today we’ll meet the 16 resulting offspring: Marie Anne de Bourbon Louis, Count of Vermandois Louis Auguste, Duke of...

Louis XIV, King of France from 1638 to 1715, ruled over the court at Versailles with the sheer magnetism of his personality. All were desperate to be in the light of the sun king. His image was paramount to maintaining his place at the center of the Universe. The 5’4” monarch wore high heels and voluminous wigs. And he made sure the world knew he was a virile man with plenty of mistresses. While a...

Empress Wu Zetian rose from royal concubine to become the only female ruler in China’s 2,000 years of imperial history. Today she is seen as ruthless, tyrannical and willing to murder her own family to hold onto the throne. However this female leader has suffered from a millennium of bad propaganda. Many of the shocking and devious actions she took to claim and hold power overshadow the good she d...

The Most Noble Order of the Garter sneaks into so many of my videos. Nearly ever significant member of the English and British royal family since the 1300s, and a number of foreign royals have been knights or ladies of the garter. And the symbols of the order can be spotted in SO. MANY. ROYAL. PORTRAITS. if you know where to look. Most recently the order made an appearance in pop culture when Will...

Throughout history, the cold, dark and hungry winter season had been infused with a certain spooky feeling of dread. Festivals like saturnalia, yule and eventually Christmas brought light to the darkness. But that lingering since of foreboding still underlines the festive season, no mater how much we make merry. Today let’s unearth 3 of my favorite early episodes, all on the theme of Spooky Christ...

Through most of history, monarchs selected wives for their royal blood and political significance. Women they actually liked and were attracted to were relegated to being mere mistresses. These women were usually local aristocrats or even commoners who would not be considered contenders to be consort. The majority of monarchs had mistresses and their wives usually looked the other way, safe in the...

Through most of history, Kings selected wives for their royal blood and political significance. Women they actually liked and were attracted to were relegated to being mere mistresses. These women were usually local aristocrats or even commoners who would not be considered contenders to be consort. The majority of monarchs had mistresses and their wives usually looked the other way, safe in the kn...

Disney Princess Moana may voyage across a fantasy version of the Pacific ocean, and represent an amalgamation of several islands’ cultures. But she is based on many real-life women who have led their people with courage, strength and compassion. From a 13th century Queen of Samoa who protected her people and was revered as a Goddess, to the 27 year old woman who was crowned Queen of the Māori in S...

Ridley Scott’s epic historical sequel, Gladiator II promises to be a dramatic and spectacular, if not particularly historically accurate roller-coaster ride through the Roman Empire. And while there are already some excellent videos out there discussing the authenticity of the battle scenes, dramatic deaths and exactly which era saw the flooding of the Colosseum, I want to take a look at something...

The deliciously witty drama series ‘The Great’ tells the occasionally true story of Catherine II, Empress of Russia. It’s a wonderful example of why historic dramas should be taken as entertainment, not a history lesson. While playing fast and loose with history it actually sanitizes a lot of the scandal in her life by transforming Peter into a romantic antihero and making Catherine fall in love w...

Who were the first 10 non-royal women elected or appointed to be Head of State (President) or Head of Government (Prime Minister)? 1. Khertek Anchimaa-Toka, Chair of the Presidium of Little Khural of the Tuvan People’s Republic 1940 2. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Ceylon 1960 3. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India 1966 4. Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel 1969 5. Isabel Perón, Pr...

The public loves a good story about the salacious private lives of the rich and famous. And royals often really did get up to some jaw-dropping behaviors. But sometimes a grain of rumor can be so enthralling that it snowballs into an unshakable myth. If you ask the average person what they know about Catherine the Great they are likely to say “Isn’t she the one who was crushed under a horse?” Many...

Happy Halloween, Boils and Ghouls! One of the few things I enjoy as much as Halloween are fascinating random facts from history and pop culture! So I’m resurrecting one of my favorite series, Fun Sized Spooks! These 10 episodes are each as short and sweet and Trick r Treat candy! Today’s plastic pumpkin full with explore spooky topics from pop culture, including the tragic celebrities of the 27 cl...

Fun Sized Spooks: Historic Spooks! Happy Halloween, Boils and Ghouls! One of the few things I enjoy as much as Halloween are fascinating random facts from history and pop culture! So I’m resurrecting one of my favorite series, Fun Sized Spooks! These 10 episodes are each as short and sweet and Trick r Treat candy! Today’s plastic pumpkin full with explore spooky topics from history, including Davy...

When infidelity, early death, suicide, or murder strike a royal family, they are not just tragedies, they can be national or even global catastrophes. And when repeated calamities strike a dynasty generation after generation, legends of long ago curses are bound to be unearthed. From a witch poisoning the love lives of 800 years of Princes, to supernatural ravens forewarning early deaths. From a g...

Register to Vote & see your local ballot here: https://www.vote.org/ The ability to decide when or if we have children has been an essential human struggle for all of recorded history. Some may believe that abortion is a modern phenomenon. But people have been finding ways to end unwanted pregnancies for thousands of years. And ancient people were often more accepting of it than we are today. From...

On September 19th, 2022 over 4 billion people watched as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II was lowered into the royal vault at St. George’s chapel, Windsor Castle. The monarch who had reigned for 70 years thus became part of history. And she was in astonishing historic company. She joined 10 monarchs, 8 consorts and over 30 other members of the royal family dating as far back as the 1400s, who are...

Being a part of a royal family might seem enticing. But more often than not, it comes at the expense of everything else – like your freedom, your privacy, and sometimes, even your head. Even the Royals is a podcast from Wondery that pulls back the curtain on royal families, past and present from all over the world, to show you the darker side of what it means to be royalty. This is just a preview...

Queens of the World Series: Irene of Athens ruled as regent for her son, Easter Roman Emperor, Constantine VI. But when he rose up against her and threatened her religious conviction, she had his eyes gouged out. Thus she became the first Roman Empress to rule in her own right. But because the Pope did not believe a woman could hold the title, he awarded it to Charlemagne, thus creating two rival...

Episode originally aired in 2019, I have added a 2024 update. Of the 66 monarchs who have ruled over England since the Norman conquest only 8 have been Queens. These women have had to fight to gain and hold power. Through most of English history men outranked women in the line of succession so the only way for a woman to inherit the throne was if she had no living brothers. The wives of Kings, whi...

Anyone who has spent time around a newborn baby knows that while adorable, they are mostly preoccupied with milk, sleep and soiling themselves and don’t exactly have the skills to govern a nation. Though some my argue that a baby might make a better head of state than a politician. Throughout history, the combination of hereditary monarchy and brutally short life expectancy meant that many rulers...

Alexandra Feodorovna, Granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Tsarina of Russia whose guilt over passing hemophilia on to her son made her dependent on crude mystic Rasputin and contributed to the downfall of the Romanov dynasty and the murder of her family. Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History! Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholiday Follow me on F...

Episode originally aired in 2022, I have added a 2024 update. You can’t be a King without the bling, and you can’t be a Queen without the sheen. Let's learn about the artistry, history and gob-smacking value of over 20 tiaras previously owned by Queen Elizabeth II. They are printed on stamps, coins and bank notes across the globe and have been seen on millions of screens gracing the foreheads of P...

You can’t be a King without the bling, and you can’t be a Queen without the sheen. Royal women have long donning glittering headgear to make them stand out from the crowd. Tiaras are works of art and are fitted with pricey diamonds, pearls and other precious stones. As these heirlooms are often passed down female family lines it is fascinating to see how they bounced across Europe with royal bride...